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      08-26-2020, 12:21 PM   #1
chris82
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Budget FIA approved bucket seats vs premium seats

Hi all, planning to buy some race seats for the car as I'm sliding all over the place during HPDEs. My question is how are the budget seats like a Sparco Sprint or Sabelt Duo vs their premium $700+ price point seats in terms of comfort and support? This car is mainly used for spirited drives and track events, but I take occasional long cruises that might be 2-3 hours. My brother had Sparco Evos in his 335 and I don't remember them giving me trouble on long drives. How would a budget seat like the Sprint compare?
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      08-26-2020, 01:32 PM   #2
lowside67
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The bottom of the barrel seats such as the Sparco Sprint are steel framed seats unlike most race seats which are fiberglass construction. They tend to be heavier, less supportive, and some suggest that they are less safe in a crash as they don't absorb impacts in the same way that a fiberglass shell would. I had a pair of Sparco Sprints in my E36 like 10+ years ago and it was a very real improvement in comfort when I went to OMP and then Recaro fiberglass seats, especially as I was still driving to/from events at that time.

-Mark
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      08-26-2020, 03:23 PM   #3
chris82
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Originally Posted by lowside67 View Post
The bottom of the barrel seats such as the Sparco Sprint are steel framed seats unlike most race seats which are fiberglass construction. They tend to be heavier, less supportive, and some suggest that they are less safe in a crash as they don't absorb impacts in the same way that a fiberglass shell would. I had a pair of Sparco Sprints in my E36 like 10+ years ago and it was a very real improvement in comfort when I went to OMP and then Recaro fiberglass seats, especially as I was still driving to/from events at that time.

-Mark
Thanks! Exactly the answer I was looking for, I'm still driving to events and don't expect this to change anytime soon
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      09-07-2020, 03:43 AM   #4
yokomo963
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I used to have steel frame corbeaus in my e46 m3. With the 135, I did sparco evo seats and it was a significant improvement in comfort and support. I also drive the car anywhere from 2-4 hrs to events and have no issues with comfort.
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      09-13-2020, 06:26 AM   #5
mabrahams
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Chris,

You might want to check out https://www.murraymotorsport.com/ when you are ready to purchase. I bought my Grid II seats from them while shopping around. I echo' Mark's comments. I had a cheap pair of sprints in an E30 M3 and while they were OK; you get a lot more options when moving toward the fiberglass seat. If you are able find a place to sit in a couple to see how they fit waist and shoulders; I would highly recommend that. I couldn't at the time since the Grid's were not in the US but I wanted something with a bit more open shoulder.
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      09-13-2020, 09:50 AM   #6
chris82
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Chris,

You might want to check out https://www.murraymotorsport.com/ when you are ready to purchase. I bought my Grid II seats from them while shopping around. I echo' Mark's comments. I had a cheap pair of sprints in an E30 M3 and while they were OK; you get a lot more options when moving toward the fiberglass seat. If you are able find a place to sit in a couple to see how they fit waist and shoulders; I would highly recommend that. I couldn't at the time since the Grid's were not in the US but I wanted something with a bit more open shoulder.
Thanks for that link! I didn't think I'd find those seats for that cheap... what a deal, probably going to get the Sparco Rev once I figure out which half cage to put in this car
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